Bean-harvester.



PATENTBD MAY 21, 1907.

J. H. MOBNTIRB. BEAN HARVESTER. APPLIOATION-IILED 1115.18.24. 1906.

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PATENTED MAY 21, 190'7.

J. H. MOENTIRE. BEAN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 15151.24, 190e.

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Witnesses JAMES H. MCENTIRE, OF WILLIAMSTON MICHIGAN.

BEAN-HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed March 24, 1906. Serial No. 307,906.

To (1J/Z wir/0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MGENTIRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vv'illiamston, in the county of Ingham andState of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in Bean-Harvesters, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to bean harves'ters of the type which gather thevines from a plurality of rows and direct them into a single row, andhas for its objects to provide a comparatively simple, inexpensivedevice of this character in which the vines will be lifted for properengagement with the harvesting drum, one in which the vines will bedelivered rearwardly from the drinn between the defleeting members orshields and directed by the latter into the row, and one in which thevines will bepositively freed from the drum teeth during the harvestingoperation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter in which the harvesting mechanism may be raised clear of theground to permit turning of the machine, one wherein the lifting leverwill exert a direct lifting power upon said mechanism, and one whereinthe lifting lever may be conveniently operated and this with theexpenditure of a minimum amount of energy.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novelfeatures of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafterdescribed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of aharvesting machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal section centrally throughthe machine embodying the invention. Fig. 4 is a vertical, transversesection taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction ofthe arrow. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the drum, the sectionbeing taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail section of thedrum taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the frame 1 of themachine includes an axle 2 equipped with transporting wheels 3 and apair of forwardly and downwardly inclined side bars 4, the rear ends ofwhich are fixed in boxes or castings 5 in which the axle 2 is journaled,there being journaled in the forward ends of the bars 4 a drum shaft 6carrying a pair of harvesting drums 7 disposed respectively on oppositesides of the transverse center of the machine and each having aplurality of r'ows of forwardly curved engaging teeth 8, while extendedbetween and terminally attached to the bars 4 at a point immediately inrear of the drums is a cross piece or bar 9 carrying a plurality offorwardly projecting guide members or fingerslO arranged respectivelybetween the rows of teeth 8 and curved at their forward ends to conform'to the curvature of the drum 7.

Sustained above the axle 2 by means of supporting members or brackets 11attached to the castings 5 is a platform 12 from which arises a standard13 carrying a seat 14, while pivoted beneath the forward edge of theplatform between bearing ears 15 is the rear end of a centrallongitudinally extending frame member or bar 16 preferably of the formshown and having a forward horizontal extension 17 lying beneath thedrum shaft 6 and carrying a vertically pivoted caster wheel 18, therebeing connected to the forward portion 17 of the bar by means of atransverse bolt 19 a pair of vertically adjustable knife carryingmembers or blocks 20 equipped with cutting blades 21 and having slots 22to receive the bolt 19, whereby the blades may be adjusted to vary theirheight relative to the ground surface.

Slidably disposed upon the axle 2 and suitably fixed for rotationtherewith is a pair of clutch members or heads 23 connected by links 24in turn connected by means of a link 25 with an operating lever 26extended upward through an opening 27 in the platform 12 and withinconvenient reach from the seat 14, the clutches 23 being designed forengagement with companion clutches 28 formed upon the hubs of sprocketwheels 29 arranged idly on the axle and connected by chain belts 30 withsprocket gears 31 fixed upon stub shafts 32 journaled in suitablebearings 33 at the forward end of the frame l, there being also fixedupon the shafts 32 gears 34 in mesh with gears 35 'fixed upon the shaft6 for driving the same. It will be noted in this connection that whenthe machine advances over the ground the axle 2 will be rotated and willthrough the medium of the sprocketand chain connections impart motion tothe stub shafts 32 from which the drinn shaft 6 is in turn driventhrough the medium of the gears 34, 35, it being understood that thedrum operating mechanism may be thrown out of action at will by oper-IOO ating the lever 26 for throwing the clutches 23 out of engagementwith the clutches 23.

Terminally journaled in the bearings 33 and arranged vertically abovethe shafts 32 is a feeder shaft 36 equipped with radiating feedermembers or arms 37 adapted to act upon the material collected by thedrum 7 for feeding the same over the fingers 10 rearwardly between apair of downwardly and inwardly inclined deflecting members or blades 38adjustably mounted at their for- Ward ends upon a transverse rod 39extended across the frame 1 and having bearing at its ends in verticalbearing members or standards 4() in turn bolted at their lower ends tothe bars 4. The shaft 36 is connected to be driven from the stub shafts32 by means of sprocket chains 41 arranged for travel around sprocketpinions 42 fixed respectively upon the shafts 32, 36, while thedeflector blades 33 which serve to direct the vines or other materialinto a single row are further sustained by supporting straps 43 boltedthereto and to the bars 4.

Bolted to the forward ends of the bars 4 are vertical bearings 44 ineach of which there is connected for vertical adjustment and by means ofa set screw 45 the shank 01 standard 46 of one of a pair of plows 47which serve to lift the vines to position for ready engagement by theteeth 8, while centrally pivoted to the bar 16, as ati48, is a liftinglever 49l engaged at its forward end with the rod 39 and provided at itsrear end with a curved cam portion 50 to be acted upon by the curved camportion or arm 51 of an operating lever 52 ournaled in suitable bearingson the platform 12 within reach of the seat 14 and adapted to beoperated for moving the rear end of the lever 49 downward and thus causeits forward end to lift the forward ends of the frame bars 4 togetherwith the drum 7 and plows 47 to permit of the machine being freelyturned.

Attached to the bars 4 are brackets 53 carrying rollers 54 which actupon and for tensioning the belts 30, there being terminally journaledin bearings on the bars 4 and at a point immediately in rear of the bar9 a roller 55 driven from the chains 30 by means 'of sprockets 56 andadapted to advance the material from the fingers 10 to positionbetweenthe blades 38, while attached at its rear end to the bar 16 is a tongueor pole 57, and to the forward end of the horizontal portion 17 of saidbar a double tree 58.

In practice, as the machine advances over the ground, the vines to beharvested will be lifted by the plows 47 and engaged by the teeth 3during the rotation ofthe drum 7 and carried upward by the latter fordelivery rearwardly over the fingers 10 and roller 55 to the blades 33by which the vines gathered from a plurality of rows will be depositedin a single row. As the material passes onto the fingers 1() it will bedisengaged from the teeth S by means of the feeder arms 37, the shaft 36of which is operated from the stub shafts 32 in the manner heretoforeexplained. Vhile the vines are being gathered the blades 21 serve to cutthe weeds and direct them outward toward and beyond the ends of thedrums 7. During operation of the machine the harvesting mechanism may bethrown out of operation at will by means of the lever 26, or may belifted by means of the levers 52 and 49 to permit free turning of themachine at the ends of the rows, as heretofore explained.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple deviceadmirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view, it beingunderstood that in attaining these ends minor changes in the detailsherein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is; j

1. In a beanharvester, a frame, a harvesting drum journaled for rotationtherein and provided with vine engaging teeth, a pair of rearwardlyconverging deflector blades sustained in rear of the drum, a finger barfixed in the frame at a point between the drum and blade, forwardlyprojecting guide fingers carried by the bar and adapted to extendpartially around the drum between the teeth, and means for feeding thematerial over the fingers rearwardly between the deflecting blades.

2. In a bean harvester, a frame, a harvesting drum ournaled at theforward end thereof and provided with vine engaging teeth, a pair ofrearwardly converging deflector blades sustained in rear of the drum, afinger bar fixed in the frame between the blades and drum, forwardlyprojecting guide fingers earried bythe bar and arranged to overlie thedrum between the teeth, a rotary feeder shaft sustained above the drumand equipped with feeder arms adapted to free the material from theteeth and direct the same rearwardly over the fingers for 4 deliverybetween the blades, and means for operating the feeder shaft and drum.

3. In a bean harvester, a frame including an axle equipped withtransporting wheels, a rotary harvesting drum journaled at the forwardend of the frame and provided with vine engaging teeth, a pair ofrearwardly converging deflector blades sustained in rear of the drum, aseries of guide fingers fixed on the frame between the blades and drumand arranged to project forwardly over the latter- IOO IIO

operative connections between one of the parts and the axle foroperating the drum and shaft. I

4. In a bean harvester, a frame including an axle equipped withtransporting wheels, a rotary harvesting drum journaled at the forwardend of the frame and provided with vine engaging teeth, plow bladesconnected with the frame inrear of the drum for lifting the vines intothe path of the teeth, a pair of rearwardly converging deflector bladessustained in rear of the drum, a series of guide ngers mounted in theframe between the blades and drum and arranged to project forwardly overthe latter between the teeth, a rotary feeder shaft sustained above thedrum and having arms designed to free the material from the teeth andfeed the same rearwardly over the fingers for delivery between theblades, and operative connections between the axle and drum and shaftfor operating said parts.

5. ln a bean harvester, a frame including an axle equipped withtransportingr wheels, a pair of longitudinal frame bars pivotallyconnected at their rear ends with the axle and adapted to swing in avertical plane, a drum journaled for rotation at the forward end of saidbars and provided with vine engaging teeth, a pair of downwardly andrearwardly converging deflector blades sustained by the bars in rear ofthe drum, means for feeding material from the drum rearwardly betweenthe blades, a lifting lever pivoted between its ends on the frame andhaving its forward end operatively connected with the frame bars, and anoperating lever fulerumed on the frame and having a cam arm arranged toact on the rear end of the lifting lever for actuating the latter tolift the bars and the parts of the mechanism carried thereby.

6. In a bean harvester, an axle equipped with transporting wheels, aplatform sustained above the axle, a vertically movable frame includinglongitudinal bars pivotally connected at their rear ends with the axle,a central frame bar attached at its rear end to the platform andprovided at its forward end with a easter wheel, a rotary harvestingdrum journaled at the forward end of the vertically movable frame andprovided with vine engaging teeth, a pair of downwardly and rearwardlyconverging deflector blades sustained by the frame in rear of the drum,a series of guide fingers sustained on the frame between the blades anddrum and adapted to project Jforwardly over the latter, a rotary feedershaft sustained above the drum and having arms adapted to free thematerial from the teeth and feed the same rearwardly over the fingersfor delivery be- L tween the blades, operative connections between thefeeder shaft and drum and for driving said parts one from the other,operative connections between the axle and drum for driving the latter,a lifting lever fulcrumed between its ends on the central frame bar andconnected at its forward end with the vertically movable frame, and anoperating lever having a portion arranged to act on the rear end of thelifting lever for actuating the same to lift the frame and the partscarried thereby.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. MCENTIRE.

Titnessesp CLYDE V. KING,

CLAIRE R. HIGBEE.

